Carleana ~ A Soul Coach's Journey

Monday, 19 January 2015

2014
brings to an end, many simple yet extraordinary events of the 21st
Century; one of which being, December 13, 2014 (12/13/14).This was the last numeric sequence date of
this century.It all began as the 20th
Century came to an end, with January 1/2001 (01/01/01).Many entered the 21st Century full
of fear; fear of the new year, the new millennium; fear of the future over all;
but specifically for one’s self.Fear
was introduced and planted by those whose primary concern was based on their own
fears for “their” money, “their” value and “their” positions in society and how
these changes would impact “them”.I
don’t mean “just” the individuals, but also the institutions “they” represent
and what “they” valued....$$$$ and power.

It
began with Y2K and continued through to 2012.Fear, FEAR, FEAR!The fear of what tangible things we ‘might’
lose specifically, money, possessions and position.During these last 15 years, we’ve all been
forced to look at ourselves; and asking those
questions.Who am I?Where am I?Is this all there is? What IS important to me; family, wealth, how I
look, what others think....? At the core
of who I am....WHO AM I?

And
when the world didn’t collapse at midnight of December 31, 1999 on eve of 2000;
or by midnight of December 21, 2012; and when we, here in North America, didn’t
collapse after the great black out in 2003 or after the tragedy of on September 11/01,
many began to realize fear is often used to control and weaken people.Healthy fear has great value for us as a
race, but unhealthy fear will destroy us.At first I was going to say,
these events made very little impact at all and for others....the impact has
been truly life altering.But the truth is...each of these ~and many
more~ have made a great impact on each and everyone of us, whether we realize it or not.

I
dare say, the greatest impact each of these events has had on each of us is how
we view the world we live in; not only on larger scale but in our day-to-day
living.If we didn’t reassess our lives,
someone in our lives did; and their choices greatly impacted us.

How
many people lived days, weeks, months and years in fear of the world coming to an end on these dates?How many people killed
them self based on these fears?How many
people made huge life changing decisions, based on the fears planted by others, they
may not otherwise have made?How many
people are happier for the changes they made based on fears; rather than on facts?Misery loves company!

I’ve
always been a supporter of choice, and likely always will be.However, in a discussion I recently had with
a person who believes them self to be very ‘powerful’, he echoed a quote I’ve
heard many times.... “Choice is an illusion between those who have power and
those who don’t.”I guess the point
is...there is always choice. The question may be...what’s your perspective
of power?

The
fact is, there has been a shift in paradigm, from the 20th to the 21st
Century; and it has been great.Each of
us, on a variety of levels has been forced to re-evaluate our lives....our
purpose.For some, we’ve made our choices
by first, being still and looking within to find our purpose. For others, we’ve
continued to rely on the images and influences outside of ourselves.Both have a great impact, not only in our own
lives but in the lives of many.What we
will NEVER realize is how many people and in what ways, our choices have impacted
others; and the world we live in.Our choices not only become our
legacy; but they also becomes part of how are societies are developed and
maintained; what we accept; and what we reject.Our choices establish guidelines by which we judge and punish; as well
as live and love by.

While,
for the most part, Christmas in my home was peaceful; it wasn’t without the drama,
which seems to now plague our holidays and special occasions; since 2012,
though.Because this Christmas brought
with it, the additional drama of wanting to visit with a loved one, my children
and I decided the four of us would spend New Year’s Eve together.We did invite one special person to share our
evening though; and together....we said farewell to 2014 and in a quiet and
calm manner, we welcomed with positive anticipation, 2015!

At
2:00am....New Years Day....grief came.My eldest learned a cherished friend of hers (and single mom) had just
passed away.She and I spent hours
reflecting not only on the loss of a friend, but of the hopes shared and dreams
now lost.We reflected on how this death
would impact the very young child left behind.Mother (parent) and child....alone together....an amazing bond that existed,
cherished and shared.

Before
the weekend had ended, we learned of another loved one’s passing; and that two
more loved ones had been diagnosed with terminal illnesses.The quietness of New Years eve clearly wasn’t only needed to recover from
the drama at Christmas, but also to prepare us for this news.Within the next few days, we’d learn of yet
another death and the terminal illness.

Would
2015 be the year we have been awaiting, hoping for and anticipating great
change in?Would it be the year, we’ve
been hoping to close an unresolved matter so we could finally feel ‘safe’ and
‘free’ to start to move forward; or will it be plagued with more heart ache,
uncertainty, and caution?

I
wanted this year to be the year I could finally start to move forward again; on my terms.I wanted this year to be
a year where I can FIANLLY be the one to ignite the changes in my life rather
than being forced to continuously respond to changes forced upon me; and
my children.I wanted my children to
learn what it felt like to experience the magic in life and not just the
consequences of life; particularly because of another’s actions.I wanted this for 2015 so much, that in
December, just before Christmas, I gave myself a bitter sweet gift. It
will co$t me greatly, but this prison has come to cost me so much more than 'just' money. So, I signed an offer to settle; and had it
presented to the “other side”.It’s
been the better part of a month and still....I’m held in bondage.I’ve conceded to and sacrificed so much; and
still....I wait; and my children wait.

Instead
of allowing my brain to swim with all the questions and worries uncertainty contaminates
one’s mind with, I’ve chose to (for the most part) let go...let God.I’ve given myself an amazing gift.I’ve invited myself to come back to the
present.Rather than focusing on the
future, I am embracing and cherishing – right now.

It’s
strangely interesting where mediation will take you, if you allow yourself to
be still; to be truly quiet and open at the same time.An essence of serenity often comes over you.The message you receive becomes simplex (simply complex), comforting and yet
inspiring.And on such occasion, for me;
during a very deep meditation these words were being whispered to me as if the sun
and a gentle breeze were massaging them into every part of my
existence....“Cozality” “Transition”

Now,
I’ve tried to find a “definition” for the word “Cozality” but the only one I
can find that seems to make any sense to me is the reference from the Matrix
movie.Cozality ~action/reaction; cause and effect.....Hmmmm, Newton’s third law of relativity
and Lorenz’s Chaos Theory.Grade 10
physics class with an amazing teacher; Mr Grant!!!!!

As
I reflected on the word – Cozality-, the events that ended 2014 and greeted
2015; my word for this year would seem to be “transition”.I remain very hopeful, that in the next few
days or weeks, at least my separation will be final enough that I will have
more direct influence over what happens in my life.It will then be my choices that will have
greater impact on my life; rather than me being forced to react to impact of the
choices of others.

I
have had to say “until we meet again” so some amazing souls who have been great
comfort and strength to me these past couple of years.And, undoubtedly, I will have to do so again
before 2015 ends.And....that’s all a
part of life.But so too is choosing to
be open to accept new souls; new challenges and all the gifts God and the
Universe has to offer and give me; give you!We
may not have a lot of “security” in our lives, but we still have the security
in knowing....the sun will come up tomorrow.And just as things end...so too do other things begin.If you hold on to your past,
how do you ever expect to enjoy what you have now or be excited for the future?We may not always have control over how,
when or what sort of transitions we will have in our lives, but we always have
control over how we’ll accept it; when we’ll accept it and what we’ll accept
about it.

2015,
will be a pivotal point in my transition.As I look back, on December 31, 2011 I made a paramount decision in my
life.I made it in consultation and with
the support of my then, dearest friend.We contemplated my leaving a 'secure' career over several years and made our choice, not
on a whim, but based on much thought and research.As I did then, I still believe my choice was
right for me.“Cozality” ~
action/reaction; cause and effect.

What
I couldn’t have seen then, nor did I ever imagine, was that the one I
trusted the most....the one I relied on the most....would bail on me; and on our children - our family.Not only did he walk out on me, but in the
months and years that have past...he would temporarily rob me of hopes and
dreams; shatter my security and open the door for me to question me; who I am.

I
have NO idea how I will move through this, or what lies ahead, but...I do
know....I feel it in the core of who I am....I am ok!I still cherish and hold on to the same
values and morals I’ve come to trust.I find
courage, comfort and strength these ethics and....I believe even at this pivotal
time in my life, they will guide me through this transition as graciously and
compassionately as they've always done.I am excited to see
what transition(s) await me for 2015.

Whatever
2015 holds in store for you....remember...take time to be still.Listen to that inner voice. Have the courage to believe
in yourself; and the conviction to live your passion.Cozality and chaos may follow, but so too
will their gifts and benefits.The heart
never lies!

Saturday, 27 December 2014

As I look back on 2014, it's funny how life
goes.I refuse to give in and believe
the world is a dark and sinister place.If it were as some would like me to believe it is, I wonder...why anyone
would want to live in such an evil place; why would anyone wish to spend their
time being cruel to another rather than living their own life.

I was going through
some papers I found with notes and wanted to compare them to my blog....clearly
I didn’t get those notes into my blog; yet it
would seem my word for 2014 might have been “surviving”.Let me be totally honest here.I am so sick of “surviving”.

I remember speaking with a group of ‘administrators’
about the impacts of bullying, who regularly used the phrase, “...they’ll
survive....” in reference to children who were being bullied.Finally I tossed down my pen ~ more
dramatically than I intended ~ but, I seized that moment.As I was being visually assessed, I shook my
head and glanced back around the table at the educators, medical practitioners, political
people, and parents who were there and I said, “Children survived the holocaust, but would
any one of you deliberately put a child, or anyone for that matter, in that
type of living condition?”Aghast that I would make such a comparison, and with
their judgemental eyes focused on me, they initiated what became a very interesting discussion.

The point being, why would any one person
deliberately treat another person poorly and if, they weren’t aware what they were
doing was hurtful, why once it was brought to their attention, why would they
continue ~ especially if the person(s) being treated horrifically wasn’t doing
anything to them or that would impact their life.

Since August 1, 2012
most each day of my life has been living in ‘survivor’ mode.I’ve not only been directly threaten but I
have had to live with many “implied” threats including writing on my blog.I was beginning to feel like the caged in bird again or worse, a trapped
animal.I understand this in not
uncommon when going through a divorce; especially where there is a real or perceived
imbalance of power.Ahhhh, one of the identifiers of bullying.

I am one of the first
people to say, every experience has a lesson to be learned; and that we're right where
we're meant to be when we're meant to be there.And my children’s favourite, 'we’ll get through this' and 'it will all be
ok'; ~ forever and for always.These are
all true and....I do believe in these reassurances, here’s where I’m having
some trouble though...it’s easy to be put at ease by these words when you’re
dealing with a onetime occurrence.It
becomes daunting and overwhelming when the actions are reoccurring and deliberate
acts of cruelty.Another, identifier of bullying.

It isn’t just myself
whose been forced to suffer such vindictiveness this past year (+), but my three children as
well.As Christmas winds down, my estranged
husband and his family gave my children yet another ‘memorable’ holiday.For people who claim to love and care for my
children, one might think they’d choose not to behave so maliciously;
especially during the holidays.And over
the past three years since my husband walked out, one might even think, they would
have reached out to these amazing people with compassion; at least once.Alas, lies that have been told are starting
to step into the light.And rather than
showing kindness to my children, their kin, my children are forced to endure even more brutality
and denigration.

This is what I’m
talking about when I ask, “Children survived the holocaust, but would any one
of you deliberately put a child, or anyone, in that type of living
condition?”The reality is....the answer to that question
is YES!There are people, who would do
that; who DO, do that!I was once part
of a family who believes it is better to hurt another before they can hurt you
~ even if there is no real evidence that person would ever hurt them. They also would deliberately hurt someone and
speak ill of them for no other reason than to try to build them self up. Some refer to this behaviour as bullying while
others might call it arrogance and intolerance.Then, there are those who’d refer to it as narcissism or schizophrenia;
or maybe even signs of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

So where does that
leave the ones being hurt?Shy of years
of therapy and tons of medications?????“Don’t
take it personally” ~ one of the four
agreements.This is their issue not
yours.You must continue to find the
courage and strength to distance yourself from these sorts of people so you
don’t end up believing their lies or worse, become trapped by their
toxicity.The challenge...most often these people are our friends, our loved ones, maybe even a spouse, parent or child.Maintaining, if
necessary, a relationship with these people can be done but...it is imperative that
you create and maintain firm boundaries for yourself and that you be willing to forgive
yourself when you stumble. Make sure you have supports you can rely on, anytime of day and...that you trust. These people
are smooth and used to doing anything to get their needs met.Often they are well respected, by those who
don’t or won’t see them for who they are; and worse they usually “attack” when
you are your most loving, or vulnerable.

I still can’t get my
head around people who do this or why they do it, but I can say....this year
has been one where discovery, not only of these personality types has been a
huge learning curve for me; but also learning how to recognize it!There is value for these types in our society
but, in what roles? They lack compassion
and empathy so, when they hold positions of power/authority; or worse they
think they have control, those around them are more likely to live in a
constant state of surviving, rather than thriving. And in these scenarios, there is not likely
going to be any alli rescue missions.

If as Einstein said, ‘you’re
doing the same thing but expecting a different outcome’ and you're not getting it, you might simply be existing
in a state of insanity.If you feel
trapped or as if you’re not living your life...change something; even if it’s
one little thing.Have the courage to
look deep within yourself; and believe in yourself as you take the step you wish
to take.

Recently, I have taken steps that I believe will release me from my bondage and....even allow me an opportunity to move beyond surviving. Hopefully, my captor is getting bored with his subject (my children and I) and is truly willing to release all his perceived control over us; me. And, here's hoping the lessons learned on this journey will not soon be forgotten or implemented unjustly in the future.

Even if a door closes, remember it's on hinges which means, it can be re-opened. One only needs to knock; then decide to wait for an answer. Just don't ever put someone first, who puts your second.

Thursday, 24 July 2014

#1 Energy Up/Energy Down
– get in touch with items in your surroundings; do they life your energy up or
do they pull your energy down

#2 Clutter Questionnaire
and clearing one area – The questionnaire lists a number of items in your home,
workplace, car, etc and asks you to answer yes or no to questions like, is this
in need of repair, do you use this, do you love this, etc

#3 Employ the power of
Metaphor – This activity takes level two to the next step...if you said ‘yes’
to something that was important to you...ask yourself why? What does it
represent for you?It may even mean
looking at projects you’re struggling with and break them down.Often things are not as overwhelming as the
initially appear; if....we can look at the situation in sections.

With all that I’m going
through right now...I didn’t really do #1...partly because, a lot of my stuff is
already ‘sorted’ out and when the time is right and when I feel less sensitive,
frustrated and wounded....I will allow myself to do this with less contaminated
emotion.I did look at #2 and used it to
look at the projects I feel more overwhelmed by, a loss of control over and in
essence...a little afraid of.Without
getting into personal details, I will use a ‘metaphor’ to explain how I looked
each of these areas in my life.

Imagine that closet or
worse...the “messy bedroom”; when we first open the door and we see the mess,
we look at it and think “OMG...this is going to take forever!I’ll never get this done.”And with that approach, that’s right.Because, we’ll say...”I’ll do this when....”,
then close the door and forget about it.

Rome wasn’t built in a
day.You move a mountain one shovel load
at a time. Each journey begins with one step.Choose your analogy.

Stop...turn around and let’s
open that door again.Don’t look at the
whole room/mess.For now, this moment...let’s
pick one thing.Dirty dishes.

The focus is dirty
dishes.Are there any dirty dishes in
that room? If so, collect all of them up, take them to the kitchen and...either
set them on the counter, load them in the dishwasher or wash, dry and put them
away.Take a break and reward
yourself.Great job ‘self’!Or maybe you’d like
to read a chapter of your book or, sitting and sipping on a cup of tea; or
enjoy a small piece of chocolate.Now...back
to the room and the focus is on something else ~ garbage.Anything that looks like garbage, pick it up
and put it in the bag.When that is
done...ask yourself, can I try another task before I take a break and celebrate
or....shall I reward myself now.Maybe
that’s a 5 minute break, lunch time or...maybe that’s all for that project
today and you close the door.The
reality is, tomorrow when you open that door....you’ve already completed a
portion of the task.Now you feel less
overwhelmed and your energy is up. You feel inspired and empowered to move
forward.

Often, I find when I do
this, I end up putting on some fun music, may be burn a scented candle or incense
to maintain my motivation.Before long,
my ‘reward’ includes throwing in a load of laundry or taking out that trash or dusting.In no time, I’ve not only finished that initial
project, but a few others as well; that’s when I “Play Full Out” and really
reward myself.Maybe I soak in the bath
or dinner at a favourite restaurant or a new book, perfume....The point is....the reward becomes two
fold...the task is complete and...I’ve recognized and honoured myself.

DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED;
if you live with even one other person!!!!!!!I soooo get it ~ I no sooner get that one room cleaned, move on to the
next and....you’d never know I cleaned the first room.OMG....how frustrating can that be.Even though you’ll likely be the one to clean
it again....that is OK!As I said...the
point is....you set an intention, you achieved it, and the task was complete.You MUST honour yourself for that!The rest....it doesn’t matter; at least for
now!We can discuss how to deal with the
“others” another time, but today...it’s about “me” and the moment.

I pulled a card from my
deck “Messages From the Wee Folk”; Wee
Folk meaning the Faeries, Gnomes, Sprites....the sacred energies and guides we
have in nature.The card I pulled
was “Balance”.It reminds us that we are
multifaceted; each part of us is a very integral part of who we are as a whole
person.I am not “just” Carleana.... I’m
a woman, I’m a daughter, a sister, a mother, a friends, a mentor, an active
participant and leader in my community, I’m an estranged spouse, I’m a
spiritual guide, I’m a healer, I’m victim, an advocate, a visionary, an
explorer....and so much more, but bottom line...I am who I am.And each of my parts makes me Who I Am!

I am proud of who I am;
each and every part of me.They give me
opportunities to be thankful, resourceful, assertive, strong, gracious, loving,
humble, protective... alive.In order to be all that and so much more...it
is important to remember to check in and maintain balance it all of my
life...in all that I am and can be.

Two years ago
to....speaking of being gracious and strong...and balance; I began day 4 of my
Camino de Compostella.I didn’t sleep as
well as I had hoped.My feet, while they
feel much better, are still sore particularly a couple of the blisters.The shoes were a gift from the heavens and
all my guides; my reward!Even today, as
I allow my soul to go back to that moment....I feel the ease of pain from my
feet.The soft spongy soles of these
shoes and...the freedom my feet felt; ahhhhh.The socks provided added protection and...the bandages, extra
cushion.

Some of the things I remember
about this day was the foggy, chilly and dewy morning.As I walked, I felt the dew drops; my fingers
were numbed by the morning’s chilled air; but it was fresh and clear.

The beautiful little “Ant
Cafe” and how I spent too much time, just sitting and enjoying how I felt
there.

Walking around a bend,
into a ‘town’, and there before me....a herd of cattle, drinking from a town
water reservoir.

And then...learning that
scent I had been enjoying....eucalyptus trees; forests of them.

The Camino can be done
in a variety of ways...I chose to arrange to have predetermined stops set, meaning I booked my hotels, with breakfast
and supper included and my luggage transferred from point A to point B daily.
Some people rely on hostiles. Today, one of the stops required for the
passports was a hostile.OMG....Americans
– English as a first language!There was
a group of mission workers who were there working to help maintain this hostile
for pilgrims on their Camino.I can’t
compare this hostile to any others....but I can say I was very impressed.Nothing like any accommodations I’ve ever see
anywhere else either; but I dare say...the place really felt like it hadn’t
changed is the 1800’s when it was first built ~ the real 1800’s; not Hollywood’s
version of that time period.

The scenery was
beautiful...the sun warmed up the air and...I made it through another day.

My day begins at 76.5km marker

Chilly
and foggy

Dew
drops from the pines,

feet
over head are dripping down upon the early morning pilgrims

This cow is protecting her calf

Nature’s artwork

The time committed to creating these works of art

The village ahead

Leaving the village

These were all over the
place; what are they?

They store
harvested corn for live stock!

Arriving at a hamlet

And OMG...this building
is NOT just a barn...it is the famers home.

This farmer and his
family live in one half, and

the cattle and chickens share the other side.

An amazing and perfect
spider’s web

Serene scenery

Have I gone back in
time?

The farmer takes his
cattle into the village for water

New shoes and...my
groove is on!

Eucalyptus
forest

Eucalyptus
leaves

Beautiful chickens

The next seven photos
were taken at the Ant Café

On the road
again...notice the bright sun, blue sky and clouds....ahhhh

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

And day 4 of Air
Week.The message today “I love and
accept who I am...and who I am is enough.”

With the focus on
accepting self and loving self for exactly who I am, the key to doing so is to
look at how we treat ourselves.The word
is far more powerful than we give it credit for.Try using phrases like “I’m recharging”
instead of “I’m exhausted” or “I’m open for love” rather than “I’m lonely”,
or...how about this one... instead of “I’m so busy” try saying “I’m seeing what
I’m capable of”.The heavier the
statement the more negative the intent...the lighter the statement the more
positive the energy.I know it will be
weird at first, so dare yourself to speak (or at least think) in a more
positive way.Think of it as a game and challenge
yourself to find a way of expressing your frustration in a ‘fun’ way.

The title of each of the
three levels today are:

1~Be the sacred
observer: observe yourself...how do you feel, how do you respond, what do you
do, take note of your feelings and your perception as to how you behave.

2~Your faults can be
your virtues: instead of looking at your ‘fault’ as ‘bad’, consider what it is
and look at from a different perspective.Make a list of those you feel are faults; now think of them positively...from
cheap to thrifty; stubborn to determined; flighty to spontaneous; resentment to
sense of justice....Try it yourself and see what you come up with.

3~Observing your core
beliefs: a core belief is notion that has become entrenched in your
sub-consciousness after having held on to or repeated it for a long period of
time.Naturally, there are positive and
not so positive core values we have.Some positive ones might be....the more I give – the more I get; no
matter what challenges find me, I always find a way to overcome them.Less positive might be...people in my life
always treat me badly; or....No pain – no gain ~ this is tricky one for me.

So, two years ago today,
was Day 3 of my Camino de Santiago; heading to Ventas de Naron.I’d been away from my family more than with
them since mid June and I was missing them dearly.I wasn’t feeling well.I was physically ill and worse...I was losing
my blister battle.I didn’t like the
saying “No pain; nor glory” because I’ve never bought into the “No pain; no
gain” even as an aerobic “instructor” in the ‘80s.To me...if it hurts or doesn’t feel
right....that’s a good sign to stop what you’re doing a listen to yourself....I think that’s why I love Nia so much....

I have been known to
change my mind when needed, but I am not a quitter; I am survivor.I say what I mean and mean what I say.I will admit, as I reflect on this day, I
remember it was incredibly hard for me and facing the possibility that I may
have to quit.Even looking back on my
blog....I spoke about how challenging this day was.And while I wouldn’t say it out loud
then....I was scared I was going to have to quit my Camino because of my
feet.I couldn’t have that.I suffered through one more day.All my guides, angels, spirit friends, God,
Jesus, Mary, Isis...my grandmothers....all I’ve ever call on....carried me
through that day from the moment I awoke because I needed to vomit, while I struggled
to put my shoes on, from the first painful step to the last....they were
there.Those I cherish most in my
life...have a nature spirit that is special to me and EACH and EVERY ONE of
them appeared that day!The butterfly,
bubble bee, lady bug, robin, sun, breeze, streams, all of them!The walk that day was long, hot and
excruciatingly painful.For a variety of
reasons I had to take breaks and getting started again....was more painful than
the last time I had to start walking, but....I did it.I made it!!!!

At the end of the day, I
broke down and bought new shoes...not no crazy expensive “perfect” hiking
footwear again for this girl....but ugly, simple, inexpensive sandals....my
“Jesus” shoes as they’ve affectionately come known as.My children think they are horrid but...they
are the most comfortable sandals I’ve ever had; at least for long term wearing
while walking! And they were like clouds
to walk on after having suffered through those shoes.I am BARE FOOT girl and love to let me feet caress
the earth.Those $160.00 sneakers (and
that was at 50% off) devoured my feet; even the expensive blister proof socks
didn’t help.Don’t buy into this...”you
have to have hiking boots if you’re going to walk” crap.Walk in what you’re comfortable walking
in...if it’s hiking boots...fine;if it’s
sneakers – wear sneakers; I would also recommend – and I think it saved my feet
from worse destruction – have extra shoes to switch into.

As soon as I got to my
room....I rested my feet. I popped my
blisters after taking some Advil.When I felt strong enough to do so, I took a
shower then went to have some supper.I
soaked my feet in epsom salts and massaged them with arnica cream.My plan for the next few days would be to
monitor my feet closely but not dwell on them.A metaphor of life I guess.

When things are out of
sorts...it’s important to monitor everything but...not to dwell on it.You can’t ignore the problems...or challenges
on your path – that is never good.That’s
when you make poor choices, or worse, no choice at all.When you acknowledge the challenges and keep
an eye on them....you’re able to consider your options and you make choices
that are in your best interest.But don’t
dwell on them.It’s the equal and
opposite reaction to ignoring them.Often when we dwell on challenges, we tend to make poor choices because
we’ve distorted the situation.Phrases
like “always” and “never” are good sign we’ve succumbed to our frustrations or
distorted a situation.Pause to observe
before reacting ~ don’t take it personally.Remember, “I love and accept who I am...and who I am, is enough.”

As the day begins, so does my Camino continue....

I may feel horrible, my feet may ache but

the day is beautiful, life is good and journey....

worth while!

These flowers and a
couple other types,

will be constant companions along my way.

The roots of trees cling
to hillsides and provide not only breath taking images,

but refuge for many species.

Whoa....

share
the road..remember?

Walking along the
highway.

This is a four lane highway, notice though, ALL the lines are white!

Clay tile factory

More
Camino pilgrim signs...not just for us

but
for drivers to mean mindful of us too.

Introduction to
beautiful gardens to come

The two other species of
flowers that will accompany me

and decorate my path in
the days ahead

The horizon from a
different perspective

Horton hears a Who!

Fiddle ferns waking and
growing

Not
sure what this is....

some thought it was the vine that strangled the life out
of this area

Notice the traffic/road
sign???

No passing. LOL Not a whole lot of space for "two lanes" either.

This was apparently, a
vineyard after a fire?!

Coming into a hamlet

Which way do I go?!

I’m on the Camino and I
will be going to Albergue

Remember the rule?

FOLLOW THE ARROWS/SHELLS

Lady working...

she was gathering all
the crumbled stone and dust and putting into tubs.

Me holding one of the
many ‘spirit’ friends who helped me today

The next few pictures
are of my blisters;

some may consider these graphic
and/or gross

Blisters before the bath...

Six in all.

Blisters after the
bath...

So....all things
considered....

after a good epsom salt
soak and arnica cream massage...

they don’t look too bad...do
they?! J

After this day...and in a nice bed...I'm ready for a good night sleep!

About Me

Carleana De Wilde CSC-CPLC brings with her a multifaceted collection of lived experience. As a woman, mother and community advocate, Carleana works to bring awareness and choice to anyone who strives to improve their own life; through compassion and respect.
Her heart-centered personality and diverse personal strengths, give her a personal leadership style with children and their families fostering a culture of inclusion, acceptance and understanding. She is a firm believer in seeing the best in others and celebrating their similarities as well as their differences. Even in difficult or unforeseen circumstances, Carleana demonstrates strong leadership skills in assessing the situation, maintaining calm and responding effectively; always exercising good judgment.
Carleana continues to be a strong champion, inspiring others to believe in themselves and their possibilities.